Ducks Unlimited staffers are in Midland this week, surveying a wetlands area one local group said it plans to turn into a place for outdoor learning and recreation where birds, plants and other species can thrive among the visitors.

"It's really going to be kind of a jewel sitting up here," said Ducks Unlimited engineering technician Lance Efird.

With information being gathered by Ducks Unlimited and other researchers, said president of the Interstate 20 Wildlife Preservation Group Elaine Magruder, they hope to move forward on construction and preservation plans having trails and bird-watching spots in place by the end of 2010.

Efird and others spent part of this week surveying the more than 85-acre property near Interstate 20 and Midkiff Road so they can create a three-dimension contour map of what the wetlands looks like. The map and information gathered by Ducks Unlimited - which is a worldwide wetlands and waterfowl conservation group - will then be used by the local I-20 Wildlife Preservation group as a guide for their preservation and development plans.

It also can be presented to the city, which owns the land, as the local non-profit group requests permits and continual approval for the project they've been working toward since 2006, Magruder said.

Once cleaned and constructed, Magruder said, they envision the wetlands area being a premier outdoor research lab for area biology students as well as an attractions for locals and visitors. Along with the trails, boardwalks that will be installed above the water and bird lookouts, they also plan to construct a Jenna Welch Nature Center with classrooms and visitor information.

Initial projections for the project were about $14 million, but Magruder said they've since scaled back by decreasing classroom space after Midland College received a grant to create its own new science lab. Costs are now estimated at about $11 million, she said.

Efird said a wetland like the one in South Midland is unusual for West Texas.

"Midland is not one of our major focus areas," he said, describing the counties along the border that garner about 90 percent of their attention in Texas.

Because of that, he said, once cleaned up and taken care of, the local wetland area will attract several different types of wildlife including snakes, frogs, coyotes, armadillos, deer and several kinds of birds people currently travel to the Big Bend and other areas to observe.

Before wildlife can thrive or any construction can be done, he said, they need to cut down the cattails (currently 7 to 8 feet high) and mow some of the grass that has overrun the wetland.

Local David Printz pointed to a machine he's been driving through the cattails and said the vegetation was so high it covered his machinery at several points eventually causing it to clog. Still, he said, he was able to clear out pathways for Ducks Unlimited staff to use for its surveys and work will continue in the future to manage the rest of the grasses.

A previous study done on the lake area showed 70 percent of the wetland was covered by cattails and grasses.

In addition to cleaning up the area, Efird said, the group also looked at guiding the water that flows into the area to a side pond that could help clean out trash, tires and other debris that currently flow into the main area.

"You've got an ideal piece of property," Efird said. "Really all it's good for is some kind of wetland reserve."

The City Council put the wetlands project on its list of things it would like to see start moving last year and also said in 2008 it would match up to $750,000 in funds raised for the project.

In addition to maintaining the wetlands for environmental and educational purposes, Efird said, the water is important because it's part of the natural filtration system where water in area playas run into aquifers that supply water statewide.

About 269 miles of runoff water feeds through this area, Efird said. To help control water levels in the wetland area, he said, the group will need to install some sort of water control structure that will regulate levels - letting some drain out if there is a heavy rain - without the prompting of human control.

Magruder said things have been moving swiftly since April 14 when they purchased additional land around the wetlands area. Studies are being conducted to assess bacteria, dirt, birds, plants and butterflies in the area, Magruder said.

Ducks Unlimited's study, she said, will show them what typical water levels should be so they know how high to build boardwalks as well as providing a baseline for them as they assess the land area and the work that will be needed to preserve it in the coming years and months.